Chief Compliance and Audit Officer

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•United States, Massachusetts, 10 Park Plaza, MA

12h

About The Position

The Chief Compliance and Audit Officer (CCAO) is MassDOT’s senior executive responsible for overseeing compliance with federal and state statutory, regulatory, and policy requirements; leading enterprise risk management; conducting independent audits, reviews, and investigations; and promoting accountability, integrity, and continuous improvement across MassDOT, its grantees, and contractors. The CCAO leads enterprise compliance, audit, risk management, governance, quality management, and internal control functions, and assists MassDOT operating divisions and departments with compliance. The position exercises a high degree of professional independence and judgment in setting priorities, methodologies, standards, and work plans, subject to strategic direction and governance oversight. The CCAO establishes agency-wide standards, policies, and procedures to support MassDOT’s transportation mission and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, grant requirements, contractual obligations, policies, procedures, and ethical standards. The CCAO advises the Secretary and CEO on compliance, audit, governance, enterprise risk management, continuous improvement, and organizational integrity, and provides regular assurance and reporting to executive leadership and the MassDOT Board of Directors. The position oversees enterprise risk management and governance, audits and investigations, and compliance oversight and implementation. It works with operating divisions and departments to assess risks, evaluate internal controls, deliver documentation and training, and implement corrective actions. The role also coordinates with external oversight, regulatory, and investigative bodies as appropriate and leads the development of a qualified audit and compliance workforce. MassDOT is responsible for developing, implementing, and coordinating transportation policies and projects for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and for planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining a statewide transportation system. Its divisions include Highway, Registry of Motor Vehicles, Aeronautics, and Rail & Transit; Planning & Enterprise Services provides business and administrative support and policy leadership.

Requirements

At least seven years of full-time or equivalent part-time professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration, or clinical management.
At least four years of the minimum entrance-requirement experience must have been in a managerial capacity.
At least ten years of progressively responsible experience in compliance, audit, risk management, governance, investigations, internal controls, performance improvement, or related fields.
At least five years of executive or senior management experience leading enterprise-wide compliance, audit, risk management, investigations, internal controls, performance improvement, or governance functions.
Experience designing and implementing enterprise risk management programs and governance frameworks.
Significant experience presenting to executive leadership teams, governing boards, audit committees, and external oversight bodies.
Project management experience.
Demonstrated ability to influence organizational culture and lead large-scale change initiatives.
Strong knowledge of internal controls, auditing standards, risk management principles, compliance program design, investigations, performance improvement, and governance practices.
Finalists must pass a comprehensive background check, including a criminal record check, Department of Revenue check, and employment references.
Applications must be submitted online through MassCareers to be considered.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Engineering, Accounting, Finance, Law, Public Policy, or a related field.
Advanced degree such as a J.D., M.P.A., M.B.A., or related discipline.
Experience in government, transportation, infrastructure, public sector organizations, or other highly regulated industries.
Professional certifications such as CIA, CPA, CISA, CFE, CCEP, or equivalent certifications.

Responsibilities

Establish and maintain MassDOT’s enterprise risk management framework and governance structure.
Lead agency-wide risk identification, assessment, mitigation, monitoring, and reporting activities.
Develop and maintain enterprise risk registers, corrective action plans, and risk reporting mechanisms.
Facilitate executive discussions about organizational risk tolerance, emerging risks, and mitigation strategies.
Coordinate with operating divisions and departments to integrate risk management into business planning and operational decision-making.
Monitor emerging regulatory, operational, financial, technology, and reputational risks and recommend responses.
Oversee internal, external, and field audits to monitor and evaluate high-risk areas.
Lead or oversee compliance-related reviews, assessments, investigations, and inquiries.
Coordinate investigative activities with the Office of Inspector General, Office of the Attorney General, State Auditor, Human Resources, Legal, and other oversight entities as appropriate.
Develop and maintain compliance incident reporting, escalation, and response protocols.
Advise executive leadership about compliance issues, investigations, findings requiring attention, recommended corrective actions, and timelines.
Develop strategies and response plans with MassDOT operating agencies and departments for compliance-related crises and regulatory matters.
Ensure audit and investigation staff maintain professional standards consistent with applicable auditing standards and industry best practices.
Recruit, develop, mentor, and maintain a qualified audit and compliance workforce with appropriate technical expertise, certifications, and leadership capabilities.
Oversee quality assurance and continuous improvement within the audit and compliance functions.
Ensure appropriate reporting and resolution of compliance violations and ethical concerns.
Provide strategic guidance to executive leadership on compliance risks, governance practices, and organizational controls.
Establish performance measures and monitoring mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness of MassDOT’s compliance and ethics program.
Collaborate with the Office of Performance Management and Innovation to use agency performance data to identify trends and improvement areas across operational functions and capital investment programs.
Track corrective action plan implementation and coordinate tasks across departments and divisions when needed to ensure engagement and completion.
Assist departments and divisions with developing or reviewing documentation or training to achieve compliance or reduce risk, as needed.
Promote accountability, integrity, transparency, ethical conduct, and continuous improvement throughout MassDOT.
Liaise with external oversight, regulatory, and investigative agencies as appropriate.
Submit a complete, accurate, and current resume or application through MassCareers.